High-tension rectifier for alternating currents.



L. SCHMIDT.- HIGH TENSION RECTIFIER FOR ALTEENATING GUERENTS.APPLICATION :ILBD MARJZG, 1912.

1,070,542, gPatented Au 19, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LGUIS SCHMIDT, 0F HANOVER, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SIEMENS & HALSKE A. G.,OF BERLIN, GERMANY, CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

HIGH-TENSION RECTIFIER FOB- ALTEBNATING CURRENTS.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

Application filed March 26, 1912. Serial No. 686,434.

'1 b (12/ whom '1 6 may concern:

lle it known that I, Louis Scnmm'r, a citizen of the Empire of Germany,and residing at Hanover, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in High-Tension Rectifiers for Alternating Currents, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary high tension reetitiers and has for itsprimary object to provide an improved construction, whereby a device ofthis character can he simply and economically constructed and adapted tooperate with a maximum degree otcflicicncy.

A further object is to provide for a more compact arrangement of partswithout in any manner lessening its serviceahility.

Among other objects, my invention contemplates the elimination ofcertain objectionable features inherent in present well known machinesof this character.

One illustrative embodiment of my invention is diagrammaticallyrepresented by way of example in the accompanying drawing, wherein sFigure 1 isa perspective view of a rectifier arranged for a four-polemachine, and Fig. 2 is-a diagram of connections showing the paths of thecurrents at a given instant.

Horst-store it has been customary to construct rotary high tensionrectifiers by arranging stationary contact-pieces in three planes forthe purpose of obtaining the neeessary insulation. The main drawback tot construction was due to the excessive length of the apparatus which isundesirable by reason of inconvenience in handling and reduction inetliciency due to losses. It has been proposed to obviate these defectsby arranging the fixed contacts in two fixed planes and in alinementalong the rotating axis. This construction is objectionable however byreason of the necessity of passing conductors through the axle which wasmade hollow for that purpose. With this arrangement it is dilliculttoprevent the circuit from becoming grounded. To obviate thesedifiicult-ies, the axle was made entirely of insulating materialresulting in an nndesireble lack of rigidity in the apparatus. On otherhand, machines have been put into service with insulating plates orlayers disposed between adjacent contacts to prevent fiashovers. Thisconstruction is more or less objectionable by reason of the considerableincrease in the cost of manufacture, it being necessary to make theinsulating plates very thick and of high grade material. To obviate allof these drawbacks while retaining all the advantageous features of theother machines, constitutes the main general object of the presentinvention.

Referring firstly to Fig. l, the steel axle a of the rectifier iscoupled to a motor. not shown, driven by current from the circuitsupplying the current to be rectified, and carries two pairs, 5 and c,of intersecting arms 1),, and'c 0, made of insulating material andinclosing acute angles. The outer ends of each pair of these arms aresecurely connected by the electrically conducting, segmentalbridge-pieces (Z (Z (L, and (Z,

which are suitably insulated from the axle. Between the bridge-pieces(1,, (Z, and between the ln-idgc-picces (Z (Z which are respectivelylocated on the same side of the axle, are mounted the two conductors c,and 0,, respectively, which are parallel to the axle and form theconnections between their respective pairs of bridge-pieces. In or neareach of the two planes containing these bridge-pieces are mounted fourstationary contact-pieces f1, f2; 1 1: f3, f and f f, arranged in suchmanner that, when the axle rotates, they are either directly contactedby the bridge-pieces or are as close as possible thereto so thatspark-gaps are tormcd across which the current can pass. By means ofthis construction, it is possible to utilize almost the entire haltwave-length of the alternating mm at, whereas in known rectitierscomprising four curved contact-pieces located in one plane it ispossible to utilize only a comparatively small portion of thewave-length, otherwise a discharge would take place between thecontact-pieces. Moreover these known rectifiershave the defect that theycomprise a bored axle traversed by the movable conductors. At each endof the rectifier the fixed contacts are connected to one anotherinpairs, the pair at one end being connected to the source of supply,and that on the other end to the apparatus requiring the rectifiedcurrent. The connections at the one end are displaced 90 relatively tothe corresponding connections at the other end of the rectifier. In theillustrative embodiment the secondary Winding of a. traiisformer is usedas the source of a1- ternat-ing-current supply, to Whose terminals thefixed contact-pieces f f andf f, are connected in pairs. lheapparatusreqmrmg the rectified current is in this case a Rontgen tube Rwhose terminals are connected to the fixed contact-pieces f f and I I ff Referring now to Fig 2, the arrows shown 111 full llnes indicate thedirection of the currents whenathe rectifier is in the position shown inFig. 1, while the dotted arrows show the direction of the currents afterthe axle has rotated through an angle of 90.

It is to be understood that the conductors arranged parallel to the axlemay be formed as points opposite curved stationary contacts other pair,in combination with two pairs of rotary sectors, insulated from eachother, the elements of-which are spaced apart but electricallyconnected.

2. In a high potential rectifier, the combination With two pairs ofconductors insu lated from each other and suitably mounted to revolveabout an axis, the elements of each pair being spaced along said axis,but electrically connected, of fixed contacts arranged in pairs adjacentthe paths of revolution of the revoluble conductors, the elements ofeach pair of fixed contacts being angula-rly displaced 90 degrees withrespect to each other.

3.111 a device of the character described, the 'combination with asource of alternating currents having two terminals, a pair of fixedcontacts connected up to each terminal, an instrumentality for utilizingrectified alternating currents, said instrumentality being provided Withtwo terminals, a pair of contacts connected to each terminal of said.instrumentality, and two pairs of rotar sectors insulated from eachother. and the elements of which are spaced apart but electricallyconnected, the elements of each pair of contacts being angularlydisplaced 90 degrees with respect to' each other.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two Witnesses.

Vitnesses MARIE BEHNE, MINNA CAssEL.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

LOUIS SCHMIDT.

